It's What's Pho Dinner

Last night Renee and I went to Miss Saigon on 301. I hadn't had good pho since Nha Trang closed last year. I guess that's my fault since Miss Saigon has been in business for quite a while. I just never made it in there.

Their pho was very satisfying: the broth was rich with star anise and the cuts of meat were very delicate, even the tendon. I passed on the pho with tripe, but I realized afterwards that what I'd had at Nha Trang was probably tripe as well, just not the type of tripe I'm used to. I'm guessing that dishes like menudo use the tripe from one cow stomach and pho tripe comes from another. What I remember in Nha Trang's pho was something that almost resembled some sort of sea fan--long, pale and feathery. I'll have to try the pho with everything next time. I'm also curious about the little meatballs in there. Maybe the folks on egullet would know about those.

Along with this soup-that-eats-like-a-meal, I had a soda with salt-preserved lime. It was interesting, bracing even, at first. About half way down the large fountain glass, however, the drink became too briney for me to handle. Maybe next time I'll try the preserved plum soda.

Here's a link to an amazing pho restaurant. Well, the name is amazing at least. Ok, at least to me it is. Far better than the pun at the beginning of this post. Nearly a pho-pas. Nearly. Anyway, the post also has a link to an entire pho blog. Talk about having a focused project. Note my restraint there.